Thursday, April 25, 2013

In fact, I'd go so far as to say that I have a pretty brown thumb, considering the number of plants that I've killed over the years.

It's not on purpose, of course. In fact, just the opposite. I start out well, making sure each little flower or vegetable seed is properly planted and given plenty of sunshine, water and love.

But... as with so many of my well-intentioned projects, life goes on and remembering to keep up with the watering and care gets pushed to the back of my mind. Before I know it, I find myself shaking my head sadly at my little pot of dirt, realizing that I have done it yet again.

Isn't there a way that I can grow a houseplant or some fresh vegetables but without putting in the time, skills and effort? I was pretty sure that the answer was no... and then I was introduced to Click & Grow.

An electronic smartpot that independently grows plants without the need of watering, fertilizing or any gardening know-how, Click & Grow enables the growth of any houseplant with its sensors, processor and special software located right in the pot.

This innovative gadget does all of the work automatically dosing the correct amount of water and nutrients, while forgetful gardeners like myself only need to refill the water tank or replace the batteries once in a long while.

After deciding that Click & Grow was created with me in mind, I was thrilled to have the chance to see if I could grow a mini garden of my own with the Starter Kit with Basil.

As I pulled the 8.3" x 8.3" x 3.1" sleek smartpot out of the box...

...I was pleased to see that Click & Grow had included perfectly clear, step-by-step instructions to get me started.

I simply installed four AA batteries (not included)...

...filled the water reservoir up to the indicated water level mark...

...replaced the lids, covered the top of the plant cartridge with the included germination lens (to create a greenhouse effect on my future little sprouts), and placed the whole thing in a sunny window.

That's it!

There is a convenient light right on the side of the smartpot that blinks green every five minutes to let me know that all is well, along with a handy chart that deciphers what the pot is telling me if it blinks or turns to another color.

Really, could this get any easier?

Click & Grow mentioned that it would be 1-2 weeks for my cute little sprouts to appear... and, sure enough, they did.

No hassle, no fuss, no feeling bad when I realize days later that I haven't paid any attention to my new little plants. Instead, this simple and modern pot (which would look great with any décor) is a dream come true for irresponsible gardeners like me. I can't wait to see how much these have flourished in the next few months (the basil is said to be full grown in 3 to 4 months, and will live from 8 to 12 months)!

Retailing for $79 for the Starter Kit and $19.99 for a refill plant cartridge, Click & Grow has options in both the flower and vegetable variety for every taste.

Starter Kits include Basil, Chili Pepper, Mini Tomato and Corkscomb, while the refills are available in these four as well as Busy Lizzy, Coriander, Garden Sage, Lamb's Ear, Lemon Balm and Painted Nettle — plus Click & Grow is always testing new plants to expand their selection even further!

To find out more about these easy-to-use, no-gardening-knowledge-necessary smartpots, visit ClickandGrow.com and connect with them on Facebook and Twitter.

Other than the Starter Kit with Basil that I was provided by Click & Grow to facilitate my review, I was not compensated or enticed to do this review in any way. This post is solely my honest opinion of this product.